Strength Training the homeless.

“The best students I’ve ever had were at a homeless center. They were all under the ages of 12. They were the best listeners I’ve ever had to coach.

There was a day when I went in and there wasn’t enough yoga mats for everyone, so I bought them plenty with the funds from this small business.

I started this vision of mine after the 2016 election and decided to immerse my work to make fitness available for all. It takes more than just a blog post, and way more than selling a shirt.

I’ve thought so many times about the success of this brand, my work, and it’s ties with this enormous fitness, health and wellness ocean and what “successful” looks like and have learned to appreciate the small impact it has on the populations that get dismissed. There are definitely waves of feelings about this work everyday. But I no longer get discouraged that I don’t have a bajillion followers, or big name sponsors because that’s not why I show up on this timeline. My work is offline and at the end of my work day I’m so happy to be helping just ONE person that has felt like this “isn’t for them”. This work fulfills me and I am grateful.”

So strong!

Pictured: Maria with the yoga mats she gifted the children at the Rescue Mission, a refuge for families that have no place to turn.

-post from the owner’s instagram.

Because her paid work is training people, Maria has expanded her skills to coaching the homeless demographic with the help of the Rescue Mission and the Nativity Center in Tacoma, Washington. Her job definitely helps her brand in growing due to the actions on helping such a marginalized populations that get overlooked in the health and wellness world.